Card punch and die assembly



Sept. 8, 1953 H. E. HOOE 2,651,363 CARD PUNCH AND DIE ASSEMBLY Filed A ril 11, 1949 INVENTOR. Ala/ far i. fi/aae 4 77mmrs Patented Sept. 8, 1953 CARD PUNCH AND'DIE ASSEMBLY .Hunter E. Hooe,-Athens,-hio, assignor toxThe McBeeCompany, Athens, Ohio,

a corporation Application April 11, 1949, Serial N 0. 86,818 8 Claims. (01. 164-11) This invention relates .to a card punch and die assembly adapted to punch notches and slots in .marginally perforated cards.

Cards of the character referred to, such as the well;known Keysort cards, are'provided with marginal perforations including an outer row of perforations and an inner .row of perforations. These perforations are also grouped into fields or classes, each field comprising, for example, four perforations, three of which are arranged in an outer row and one in an inner row and corresponding to the numerals 0, 1', .4, and 7. By notching these cards. to an inner or outer row of perforations and/or by slotting'them to provide a slot extending from aninnervperforation to an outer perforation but short of the edge of the card, the cards are coded. Rapid selection of the coded cards from among a large numberthereof is possible.

It is an object of the;present invention to provide an improved form of'punchand die assembly for marginallypunching and-slotting cards of the character described.

It is a further object of-the present invention to provide a cardipunchand'die'assembly which is operable manually or by a key-operated mechanism, to punch shallow notches to outer perforations, deep notches to inner perforations or slots extending from-an inner perforation to an outer perforation but short of an edge of the card.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the'accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the'card punch and die assembly showing a card in place therein.

Fig. 2 is an end-elevation of the same as seen from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing'operation of the punching mechanism to form a shallow punch.

Fig. 3a is a fragmentary view of a marginally perforated card showing the same after it has been punched to provide a shallow notch.

Fig. 4 is a view similarto that of Fig. 3, but showing the operation of the punching mechanism' to punch a slot.

Fig. 4a is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3a, but showing a card punched to provide a slot.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. '3, but showing operation of the punching mechanism to punch out a deep notch.

Fig. 5a is a view similar to that of Figs. 3a and 4a, but showing a card with adeep notch punched therein.

Referring now to the drawings, a punch gen- .erally designated as wiisshown as punching a marginally perforated card generallydesignated ,as Il,,such. card having an outer row of perforations l2 and an inner rowof perforations 1'3.

The object of the punching-is'to punch out one;:or more shallow notches 14 (see Fig. 3a) extending from an edge of thecard-to an outeriperforation l2, or-aslot l5 (see Fig. whextending from an inner perforation T3 to an outer perforation l2, ora deep notch l6 (-seeFigfia) "extending from an edge of 'thescard to-an innepperforation l3.

The'punch mechanism I'll comprisesapairof die blocks 25 and 26-:mounte'd on'a'base 21,:aszby means of screws 28. The die blocks;2-5 and 26 are formed with'beveled inneredges .29.;andt30, respectively, andwith transverserecesses 3| and 32, respectively. As will be seen, the :die blocks 25 and 25 are spaced-apartslightly toprovide'a card feed slot 33, and the transversewpassagestl and 32 form a rectangular passage orzopening 34 for a purpose explained hereinafter.

The die blocks 25 andcz6rarealso formed with aligned longitudinal passages .35'and-36, to receive a plurality of .lower'punchesAll and asillustrated, a single upper .punch All -,Obviously, the passages '35 and..-3.6 may be formed tor ceive any desired number of zpunches' ljl and Al. As illustrated, the punches 4n and 4| are;provided:at their rear ends with holes Altmreceivepins,rods or any other mechanical :connection- (notshown) for actuating the punchesmanually; mechanically or electrically. Eachlower punch .40 is formed with an oblique shearingedge-n spaced, from an abutment surface :44and {it ,is 1 also formed with a circular opening-45. The'openings-diarenormally in alignment'with-each other-and with the rectangular opening 34 formed in :the diezblocks. The upper punch :4l ;is 'formedawith ganoblique cutting edge 45.

It will be understood "that any suitable form of mechanism may berprovided-zfor'actuatingzthe lower and upper punches '40, 1H,. either manually or by a key-operated mechanism. Such'means of actuating the punches are well known in the 'art, form no part of the present invention and I require no description here.

undersurface of the latter also serves as a die surface for the lower punch.

More particularly, it will be seen that each lower punch 40 is formed with a cutting edge? and 36 formed in the die blocks havea comple-v mental shape, including convex portions 52 and fingers 53 having convex edges54. It will thus be apparent that whenever a lower punch 40 15 caused to move, a die for guiding its movement and ensuring a proper punching of the card is provided by the punches themselves and by the die blocks.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 4a, when it is desired to punch out a slot 15 extending from an inner perforation l3 to an outer perforation 1 2, the upper punch M is actuated, being moved m the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. The punch 4| punches out a chip 55, which is carried forwardly so as to fall out of the way.

"said first passage and arranged in side-by-side relationship; a slot punch slidably received in said second passage and in sliding contact with the upper surface of one of said shallow punches;

said. shallow, punches being so arranged that when one of them is actuated the wall or walls of adjacent shallow'punch or punches serve as dies to guide the active punch; said slot punch being so arranged that when it is actuated the During its travel, the upper punch M is guided and a die is formed therefor, by the upper surface of the adjacent lower punch 40 and the adjacent walls of the die blocks and '26. Also, the surface 43 of the adjacent lower punch provides a backing for the card H to hold it firmly in position.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 5a, if it 18 desired to form a deep notch l6 extending from an edge of the card to an inner perforation [3, such is accomplished by actuating both the upper punch ll and the adjacent lower punch 40, moving the same oppositely as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, and preferably simultaneously, so as to punch out chips 50 and 5| and form the desired deep notch.

It is thus apparent that a card punch and die assembly has been provided which is operable to punch shallow notches, deep notches or slots in marginally perforated cards; which is simple in its construction and operation; and which, among other advantages, is characterized by the fact that the punches themselves are so disposed and arranged that they function as dies for guiding each other.

adjacent shallow punch and adjacent walls of said second passage form a die for guiding the same, and that simultaneous operation of said slot punch and the adjacent shallow punch operate to punch a deepnotch in a card.

3. A punch and die assembly comprising a base; a pair of die biocks mounted on said base in spaced relationship to provide a card feed slot; said die blocks being formed with a transverse chips opening and with aligned longitudinal passages including a lower portion to receive a plurality of lower punches and an upper portion to receive one or more upper punches; a plurality of lower punches slidably disposed in said lower portion in side-by-side relationship such that each serves as a die for adjacent punches, each said lower punch being formed with a cutting edge disposed intermediate the ends of the die, an abutment surface spaced from said cutting edge and chips passage for communicating with said chips opening; and one or more upper punches slidably disposed in said upper portion in sliding contact with the upper surface of a lower punch.

4. A punch and die assembly comprising a pair of oppositely disposed, cooperating die members forming a work-receiving slot and a communicating punch-receiving slot, a first punch having a cutting edge intermediate its ends, said punch being mounted in said punch-receiving slot and movable through said work-receiving slot to out work in a first area, and a second punch mounted in said punch-receiving slot movable through said work-receiving slot to out work in a second area.

1 5. The structure set forth in claim 4 in which the punches are in juxtaposed sliding relation.

6. The structure set forth in claim 4 in which the punches have contiguous cutting surfaces.

spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A punch and die assembly comprising a die block having a card-receiving passage formed therein, a plurality of shallow punches reciprocably disposed in said block in side-byside relationship such that when one of said punches is actuated to punch a shallow notch in a card one or more adjacent shallow punches provide surfaces for guiding the punch which is being actu- I ated, and one or more slot punches also reciprocably disposed in said die block, each said slot punch being adjacent a shallow punch such that the adjacent shallow punch provides a guide surface for said'slot punch, said slot punch and the adjacent shallow punch being operable together to punch a deep slot in a card. 2. A punch and die assembly for punching and slotting marginally perforated cards to code the same comprising: a die block formed with a carda receiving slot,-an opening for chips, a first punch passage and a second punch passage; @ityof shallow punches slidably received within a plural- '7. The structure set forth in claim 4 in which the cutting surface of one punch is in opposition to the cutting surface of the other punch, whereby the cutting movements of the punches are in opposite directions.

8. A punch and die assembly comprising a die member having a work-receiving slot and a communicating punch-receiving slot, a first punch mounted in said punch-receiving slot movable through said work-receiving slot to cut work in a first area, and a second punch mounted in said punch-receiving slot movable through said work-receiving slot to out work in a second area, the cutting surface of one punch being in opposition to the cutting surface of the other punch and the punches being independently movable in opposite directions for cutting their respective areas.

HUNTER E. HOOE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

